Create Your Own Avatar Contest for Kids

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Jumpstart.com, an educational 3D virtual world, is holding the Create Your Own "Jumpee" Avatar Contest. Knowledge Adventure, a best-selling educational software developer, launched its new JumpStart Virtual World last week in public beta. Right now, the only available game is Storyland, which is for ages 3 to 5. In March or April of 2009, Adventureland (ages 6 to 8), and Futureland (ages 8 to 10), will open. You can try the game for free, but you'll have to get a monthly subscription ($7.99) to fully access the game's content.

The contest rewards kids daily, weekly, and monthly with giveaways, such as Nintendo DSes, Nintendo Wiis, free one-year subscriptions to Jumpstart.com, and a $10,000 grand prize college scholarship. JumpStart has a virtually endless amount of combinations of face, hair, eyes, mouth, hats, and clothing for your avatar.

JumpStart is browser-based and works on Mac and Windows with a small plugin. The game has five differently-themed zones, which are each filled with games that simultaneously educate and entertain.The parent can track their child's progress in the game and receive periodic updates through e-mail to see how their child is doing.

Check out the contest here. Who knows--if your kid can make a star avatar, you may not need to save as much for that college education.

Jennifer Bergen started as an intern in 2008, writing for PCMag's blog network, and joined the PCMag team full-time shortly after. She has written for Geek.com, Gearlog, AppScout, GoodCleanTech, TechSaver, ZDNet, and ConsumerSearch. She also specializes in finding great deals, both inside and outside the world of consumer tech products. Hailing from Boulder, Colorado, where she also got a degree in news editorial journalism from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Jennifer traded in the mountains for the skyscrapers of New York City. Jennifer was...
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